Due to the development of on-board electronics and the criticality of electrical control, the use of cabling has become a major issue in the Transport sector.
It is therefore particularly important to ensure the maintenance of electrical harnesses, which are essential for the proper functioning of Transport and Infrastructure to guarantee safety, continuity of service to users and prevent breakdowns.
Whatever the market, whether rail, aeronautical, naval or military on-board electrical and electronic equipment must always be efficient and reliable.
In the case of rail transport, the replacement of high or low current electrical harnesses extends the life of trains, ensuring their safety and efficiency.
Mid-life revision of the Rennes Metro trains
In 2002 the city of Rennes inaugurated its first metro line. The VAL 208 rolling stock developed by SIEMENS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS is a driverless, automatic, light rail system. The metro has enabled the restructuring of the bus network, with the former terminus in the centre of Rennes being moved to the vicinity of the metro stations on the outskirts.
Today, the entire fleet consists of 30 trains and serves 15 metro stations, transporting 140,000 passengers per year. The construction of a second metro line was launched in 2014 and is planned to be operational in 2022. The trains, which were put into service almost 20 years ago, have reached their half-life and therefore need to be revised.
Following a call for tenders launched by the Rennes Métropole, our client SAFRA responded and was chosen to carry out this work.
16 VAL 208 AG metro trains will be renovated.
This call for tender includes:
- Renovation of the ticket offices
- Replacement of the floors and lighting
- Replacement of cabling
Replacement of embedded wiring by Comeca
COMECA, a recognised expert in embedded wiring, was chosen to work alongside SAFRA, a specialist in public transport equipment, for the design and production of harnesses.
Our commercial and technical teams were able to convince the customer by proposing a solution to replace the complex wiring with a combination of rail market wiring and insulation.
The Comeca teams will manufacture and supply the HV cables in the sub-frame, the power cables for the bogies and the inter-body connections.
Our Comeca site in Bagnères-de-Bigorre will provide technicians to assist SAFRA in Albi during the dismantling of the old cables and the reassembly of the new cables on the 2 pre-series trains.
The remaining 14 trains’ harnesses will be manufactured at our Casablanca site in Morocco. The dismantling and reassembly service will remain the responsibility of our other COMECA site located in Bagnères-de-Bigorre.
The work related to this call for tender will be spread over 5 years and will extend the life of this equipment for another 10 years or 1.5 million kilometres.
Key dates of the project
- Beginning of June 2021: Arrival of the 1st train set at SAFRA's site in Albi with the start of our removal and re-installation service at the end of July
- September 2021: Arrival of the 2nd trainset. Start of the series phase with the objective of 1 trainset every 3 months.
All our COMECA teams are proud to be part of this great renovation project for the Rennes Métropole and would like to thank their partners and customers for their continued trust.
